National Council of Churches in the Philippines

Sangguniang Pambansa ng Mga Simbahan sa Pilipinas

A Life of Compassion and Integrity

Last February 2007, delegates from the United Methodist Church California-Nevada Conference, led by Bishop Beverly Shamana came to the Philippines to get a first hand look at the human rights situation in the Philippines and to accompany the victims and the Philippine churches through the NCCP in the struggle against violations of human rights.

Cal-Nevada Visit

Delegates of the United Methodists Students Forum in Washington, DC voted for “Action against the Political Killings in the Philippines”, a resolution presented by Kira Azzam.  The approval of the resolution shows the students’ concern for upholding human rights and dignity.

Students against Extra-Judicial Killings

Action Against the Political Killings in the Philippines

RATIONALE:          Since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took office in 2001, there have been over 900 men and women murdered and abducted in the Philippines. They include students, clergy, activists, teachers, social justice advocates, peasants, farmers, journalists, lawyers a bishop and many more. Witnesses believe that the military is responsible for these murders. To this date, no one has been tried or convicted.

So, we as socially responsible young adults of the United Methodist Church are called to respond to social injustices in our society.

WHEREAS, President Arroyo has declared an all-out war campaign to “defeat Asia’s longest-running communist insurgency,” and has given the right to the military to prevent any kind of social uprisings and to keep constituents in order, and

WHEREAS, anyone who speaks out against the government, sympathizes with communists, or advocates on behalf of social change is seen as a threat to the government and the establishment thereof and therefore has led to abductions, harassments and killings of innocent and unarmed civilians in the provinces, and

WHEREAS, official policies and actions of the Government of the Philippines are oppressing working class citizens, farmers in particular by harassing or even killing anyone who in any way tries to help these citizens rise above the challenges of poverty, and

WHEREAS, the Philippine government sees the New People’s Army as a threat as the communist rebel group, but the NPA claims to seek economic and political justice for the people, and has been fighting an underground war against the government for more than forty years. Recently, the United States has linked the group to Osama Bin Laden because of their high Muslim population. In fact, since September 11, the Philippine military has received a substantial amount of financial assistance to fight the global war on terror. It is believed that this has accelerated the campaign to stop opposition to government policies, resulting in over 900 deaths, and over 200 forced disappearances.

WHEREAS, most victims are middle-class citizens who are speaking out about human rights and the need for social change in the Philippines.

Action Against the Political Killings in the Philippines

THERFORE IT BE RESOLVED, that the United Methodist Student Forum condemn the oppression and killings of the Filipino people, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Student Forum calls upon the General Board of Church and Society, Council of Bishops, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and every campus ministry unit to engage in efforts of education so that they may be able to encourage the United States Government and the United Nations to pressure the Philippine government to cease oppression against civilians and to halt all forms violence, including but not limited to harassment, forced disappearances, and killings, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Student Forum supports non-violent intervention from the international community to intervene in bringing justice to the region to ensure that the human, civil, and environmental rights of the people are guaranteed, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Student Forum calls upon the Board of Higher Education to provide the study guide and DVD, Live to Tell: Witness and Survival in the Philippines for loan to all campus ministries interested in engaging in active prayer, education, worship, and social justice ministry surrounding the killings in the Philippines, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we suggest that awareness – raising on this issue be intensified across connection, including, if possible, the conduct of fact-finding missions to the Philippines that include young peoples, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Student Forum calls upon the Board of Higher Education to provide the study guide and video in an electronic format for ease of access to anyone interested in becoming involved.

*Portions of this resolution were inspired by a similar resolution passed in 2007, written by United Methodist young adults, regarding the genocide in Sudan; this resolution was approved on June 1, 2008 by the delegates of the United Methodist Church Student Forum held in Washington, DC.

Clement John during the Pastoral Ecumenical Delegation Visit in 2005

the NCCP Executive Committee read the NCCP tribute while Ms. Vivian de Lima read the tribute from Peace for Life.  Ms. Carmencita Karagdag of Peace for Life also gave her words of remembrance, being a personal friend of Clement John.

On June 16, 2008, the NCCP and Peace for Life held a tribute to the life of compassion and integrity of a co-sojourner, Clement John.

In remembering Clement John, Rev. Rex R.B. Reyes, Jr. read excerpts from Clement John’s lecture entitled “Ecumenical Trends and Challenges” which he delivered in 2004 to the NCC General Secretaries Meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  The excerpts speak of the challenges of the ecumenical movement especially in the South amidst its geo-political context.  He ends his presentation by positing that dialogue and re-engaging partner churches in the West is a way forward and that the role of the South is to reclaim their lost or in the process of being lost ecumenical agenda and restore theological bases of partnership.

Bishop Nathanael P. Lazaro of the Iglesia Evangelica Metodista En Las Islas Filipinas (IEMELIF), as chairperson

Tugon: An Ecumenical Journal of Discussion and Opinion

After almost a decade of hiatus, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) is happy to be able to publish again an issue of Tugon: An Ecumenical Journal of Discussion and Opinion.  The issue revisits its previously published articles and reactions to these articles.   It also includes NCCP statements and resolutions approved during the 22nd General Convention and the Bishop La Verne D. Mercado Inaugural Annual Lecture on Peace and Human Rights by Rev. Liberato Bautista.

While Tugon seeks to provide a venue for Filipino theologians to put down their treatises and articulate experience at the grassroots and elevate it to theological discourse, it is not only for theologians or students of theology alone.  Anyone who is interested in continuing study and education about the varied aspects of the life and mission, witness and service of the church in the Philippine context will benefit much from Tugon.

Tugon will be launched on June 30, 2008.  Watch out for it.

Tugon

An Ecumenical Journal of

Discussion and Opinion

The delegates from the California-Nevada Conference arrived in Manila yesterday to continue journeying and accompanying human rights victims and advocates in the Philippines.  Leading the delegation is Rev. Ruth Cortes, who have spent months in coordination with NCCP in preparing for the visit.  The delegates will visit communities in the northern and middle part of the Philippines that experienced human rights violations.  They will also have a dialogue with Chief Justice Renato Puno.  The visit is part of their continuing efforts and advocacy for human rights in the Philippines.